The Aftermath
by Lorelai Song
Summary: Sirius in the years after graduation, working for the Order and learning to grow up.


Living off of James' inheritance wasn't Sirius' favorite way to live. He was, on th whole, an independent person and liked to fend for himself. But they had all agreed that the best thing they could all be doing wa supporting the Order full time and since James had enough money to go around he was more than glad to take care of Sirius and Remus. The way Sirius saw it, he had to make good on that support. So though h technically was 'unemployed' he hardly allowed himself a free moment, moving from one Order assignment to the next throughout the day until he exhausted himself into sleep in his bed (or someone else's). He was only late because they'd ended up in a firefight at his last stop. He hadn't even taken the time to see who he was with before running off to the appointed spot for the stake out. When he found the petite woman waiting there he sighed. Now he was in for it. Something about the war had aged the 20 year old from a carefree boy into a man with a purpose, but he had a feeling his old friend wasn't going to look that far before tearing him a new one so he just took up his post beside her with a quiet hello.  
>"Evening," She replied with a bit of a smirk under her hood, "Long day?"<p>"In the worst way," His reply was meant to be light, funny even, but there was a weight to the words that hadn't been there a few years before. It was one of the indicators of the slow progress of change that was working it's way through the young man. One eyebrow was arched in a sign of curiosity and mild surprise that he hadn't been properly shouted down for hi tardy arrival yet. He had been trying to steel himself for the maelstrom he was sure was forthcoming, but it seemed h had escaped somehow unscathed. Well, that would make twice in one day, the odds aren't in my favor on that one... he thought to himself, gripping h wand a little tighter, expecting retribution for his good fortune in some form or another. "How've you been? Gone back to blonde I see," he mumbled in casual reference to the pink phase he'd somehow influenced.<p>

Chase studied him carefully, her smirk fading. It had only really been a little over a year since she had truly hung out with him, but she didn't think he would lose all of his playful manner in such a quick amount of time. Then again, Chase couldn't deny it, watching chaos all around you did change a person. I figured it had to be something important to make you late. Though, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised," Noticing her blonde hair was falling out of the hood she tucked it back. "Aubrey likes it better that way," She shrugged without thinking, remembering that Sirius probably had no idea she was dating Aubrey. Actually, she had much forgotten that Sirius had turned her hair pink...or convinced her to turn it pink. She couldn't remember. Though, she turned it back after he graduated.

A part of him quietly lamented the loss of her wildly pink locks. The world changed so fast lately that a sign of their not so long ago youth would have been a welcome piece of nostalgia. Something to remind him that there was life outside of this war, still going on in a somewhat normal fashion. Kids still went to Hogwarts every fall, sat through the song and the sorting, dealt with everyday dramas and hormones and the first flicker of that deeper emotion that was love. He was too busy thinking about those things to process her comment about Aubrey, in fact the name didn't call up the attached memory of he and James tormenting the poor kid for being a general annoyance in their lives. Instead he replied to the bit he had heard and retained. "You shouldn't be honestly. The idea of me being on time is absurd ninety percent of the time. If it doesn t involve work it's a guaranteed thing really." Well, work or Remus' 'furry little problem', but that wasn't something he just went running his mouth about.

"You were always on time at school if I brought the booze. Speaking of which, you never got me my good booze you promised back a few years ago," She half teased him, and half reminded him. A good drink was nothing to be silly about. Things were more expensive once they were being paid for out of one's own pocket instead of being snuck out of a teacher's room or from a pub in Hogsmeade.

Sirius had to think for a long moment, eyes never straying from the door even when they spoke, to recall exactly what he owed her liquor for. It had been a common currency in their school days, swapped as readily as sickles and galleons. Right up there with Ted's smokes really. After a while it came to him that he had promised to replace the drink he'd taken one night at the lake. He'd figured at the time that she was too far gone to remember or something but she'd remembered it that long so he supposed that he probably really did owe her one. "Well... assuming we get out of here neat and pretty you can come over and indulge your wild side at the flat. It's not much, I'm just warning you now." A small smirk turned up his lips a little, not unlike his younger days. His little one bedroom was small, simple, all brown leather and earthy colors. He would have had a studio, not keen on taking too much of James' money, but Lily had maintained that he'd at least want a bedroom with a door and when Lily set her mind on something you didn't try to change it unless you wanted her boot up your arse. So a modest London one bedroom it was, and he was glad for the door in the end anyways.

Chase gave him a cocky chuckle, "You should know better than to present me with any sort of open bar. You're just asking for it if you do that." For a moment, she thought about what his flat might look like. She couldn't imagine it being too bad of a place. There wasn't time for a lot of decorating in her own place, it was mostly old furniture and whatever pictures she scrounged up to place in a few frames. Ironically, there was an old picture of Sirius and Chase in there, holding up bottles and yelling at one another that James or Remus probably took. Nothing really all that unusual about that pose for the two of them. Always an extreme with him. Either close mates or at each other's throats. He seemed to hav changed so much though... For a moment, Chase froze. The door to the store shook as if someone was exiting, but then no one did.

The movement of the door drew Sirius' attention and his posture changed from casually draped against the wall to alert and tense in a blink. His hand flew to his wand and gripped the handle, drawing it quickly, at the ready for whatever might come out the door to the shop, ready to throw himself into danger's path at the blink of an eye. Though (perhaps thankfully) nothing came of the tense moment. No shadowy figure emerged and he breathed out, almost a sigh, lowering the wand and leaning against the wall once more, letting it dangle in his hand. "I'm not afraid of you and an open bar love. I'm well stocked." He shrugged lightly, picking up their conversation where it had dropped off. "And maybe if I'm lucky some of your good luck will rub off." Sirius hadn't yet taken a major injury while working for the Order, but he'd earned his share of scars and curses across the once flawless skin under his clothes. He expected a scuffle at anytime and to come out of it bruised at best. It was a fatalist's outlook but it was how he lived now.

Chase didn't take her eyes off the door after that. The one thing she had learned was that a turned back might as well secure your death."Only if you think you can handle it," She laughed but it was tense under the surface. "Sorry, all my luck is just that. Mine. I'm not a good sharer."

Sirius caught himself smirking as he made a mental note of her attention to the door. Granted, he'd been doing that very thing all along, watching it even as they carried on their mostly amiable banter. He hadn't ever had to learn the hard way, it was something hardwired into him from years with his insane mother to always watch his back. He had a feeling even now that if he hadn't been quite so aware of hi precarious situation as a boy that she probably would have found a way to finish him off already. Then again he had to give a bit of credit to his father as well for trying to talk her into believing that they could still mold him into a proper pureblood son, Gryffindor or no. He only stopped believing when Sirius ran off to live with James that one summer.

"I can handle anything you can throw my way Chasey. And if you start throwing punches I'll just hold you off at arm's length like always," he joked, referencing her tiny stature and his habit of not letting her withing reach to hit him while he laughed. "Now now, don't be so selfish. James'll never forgive you if you let me die so you can hog up all the luck."

Chase's face fell into a very unamused look. "I can roll with the big boys, Sirius. There are advantages to my... stature," She poked him in the stomach as a bit of a retaliation, knowing he hated it becaue he was as ticklish as a kid. "Besides, Blackie, I can always kick your arse." She gave him a cheeky smile.

Sirius' infamous bark-like laugh rang out for a moment before he quieted himself, shaking his head with an amused grin. "If I hold you off by the head those little legs aren't long enough to reach my arse to kick it." He turned her way just enough for her to catch his cheeky wink but keep his eyes on the door. He didn't let his guard down, even though it was kind of fun hanging around with Chase like this, reminded him of simpler times. Hearing his laugh again, she could not help but smile. There was so much about Sirius Black that was outrageously adorable and ironically annoying. The crush that Chase had so long ago given up on still boiled under the surface but a far as she figured Sirius just wasn't going to settle down. I'll just hex you down to size and then we'll see who laughs last," She threatened him jokingly, "I always win. Like I said, it is part of my charm."

"You can shrink my head but you'll never shrink my... ego." Sirius, in typical fashion, had a smart ass retort for everything. Even the pause was designed to be suggestive and comedic. He'd always had the reputation as the funny man of the Marauders, cracking jokes whenever he wanted, mostly at the most inappropriate times possible. The girls had apparently loved it, adding it to the pile of things that labeled him Sirius Black; rebel. He supposed that in his way he /was/ a bit of a rebel, but it wasn't intentional. Sirius was just Sirius, full of his own quirks and flaws. He hadn't settled down even now, finding excuse after excuse to dodge the bullet. Lily had almost taken his head off when he'd ditched her best mate after 6 months because he'd thought he might love the girl. But that was Sirius, brave as a lion in the face of danger but scared to death of the idea of love. Hell, if his own parents couldn't love him as he was who could? He shook off the heavy notion and refocused. "You can't win forever Chasey. Luck runs out eventually."

"Not mine, Blackie. Not mine. You se-" Suddenly Chase popped up as if she had been electrocuted. She sent a tripping jinx down the alley and toward the door, hearing an invisible figure yell out and tumble to the ground. From the location of the noise a small bag tumbled accio'd the bag over to herself, snatching it from the air. Chase looked back at Sirius with urgency. "Go!"

In fact, no one had needed to tell the young man to move, as the moment she had cast the spell he'd been on it, moving at top speed towards the location of the sound. His wand was out and casting incarcerous, listening for the tell tale tumble. He had enough experience with invisibility cloaks and disillusionment charms to know how to handle someone wearing one. Sure enough there was a commotion and a scuffling of fabric against cobblestones as whoever it was tried to get away. He grabbed ahold of the body, hauling the person to their feet. He could half see them it at this close range and immediately noticed it's inferior nature. "Got 'em. Com'ere and gimme a hand, yeah?" 


End file.
